Turkey: form of government and state structure

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

The Republic of Turkey is often in the spotlight because of the active role it plays on the world stage. The internal political life of this country is also of great interest. The mixed form of government in Turkey looks very confusing. What it is? This presidential-parliamentary model requires special explanations due to its ambiguity.

General information

The Republic is a so-called transcontinental state. Its main part is located in Asia, but about three percent of the territory is located in Southern Europe. The Aegean, Black and Mediterranean Seas surround the state from three sides. The capital of the Republic of Turkey is Ankara, while Istanbul is the largest city, as well as the cultural and business center. This state is of great geopolitical importance. The Republic of Turkey has long been recognized by the world community as an influential regional power. She occupies this position due to her achievements in the economic, diplomatic and military spheres.

Ottoman Empire

The form of government in Turkey still continues to be influenced by national characteristics and political traditions that have developed over centuries of history. The legendary Ottoman Empire during its heyday completely controlled dozens of countries and kept all of Europe in fear. The highest position in its state system was occupied by the sultan, who had not only secular, but also religious power. The form of government in Turkey in that era provided for the subordination of representatives of the clergy to the monarch. The Sultan was the absolute ruler, however, he delegated a significant part of his powers to advisers and ministers. Often the real head of state was the grand vizier. The rulers of the beyliks (the largest administrative units) enjoyed great independence.

All the inhabitants of the empire, including even the most senior officials, were considered slaves of the monarch. Surprisingly, such a form of government and administrative-territorial structure in Ottoman Turkey did not provide effective control over the state. Local provincial authorities often acted not only independently, but also against the will of the Sultan. Sometimes regional rulers even went to war with each other. At the end of the 19th century, an attempt was made to establish a constitutional monarchy. However, by that time the Ottoman Empire was already in deep decline, and this reform could not prevent its destruction.

Establishment of the Republic

The modern form of government in Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Hebecame the first president of the republic created after the overthrow of the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1922. The huge state, which once terrified the Christian European countries, finally collapsed after the defeat in the First World War. The proclamation of the republic was the official statement of the fact that the empire had ceased to exist.

Revolutionary changes

Ataturk carried out a set of radical reforms that contributed to the gradual transition from a religiously based monarchical state system to the current form of government in Turkey. The country has become a secular democratic republic. The series of reforms included the separation of religion from the state, the establishment of a unicameral parliament, and the adoption of a constitution. A characteristic feature of the ideology known as "Kemalism" is nationalism, which the first president considered the main pillar of the political system. Despite the proclamation of democratic principles, Atatürk's regime was a rigid military dictatorship. The transition to a new form of government in Turkey faced active resistance from the conservative-minded part of society and was often forced.

Administrative divisions

The country has a unitary structure, which is an important aspect of Ataturk's ideology. Local authorities do not have significant powers. The form of government and administrative-territorial structure in Turkey has nothing to do with the principles of federalism. All regions are subordinate to the central authority in Ankara. Provincial governors and city mayors are representatives of the government. All important officials are directly appointed by the central government.

The country consists of 81 provinces, which, in turn, are divided into districts. The system of making all relevant decisions by the city government causes dissatisfaction among the inhabitants of the regions. This is especially evident in the provinces inhabited by such national minorities as the Kurds. The topic of decentralization of power in the country is considered one of the most painful and controversial. Despite the protests of certain ethnic groups, there is no prospect of changing the current form of government in Turkey.

Constitution

The current version of the country's basic law was ratified in 1982. Since then, more than a hundred amendments have been made to the constitution. A referendum was organized several times to decide on changes to the basic law. The form of government in Turkey, for example, was the subject of a popular vote in 2017. The citizens of the country were invited to express their opinion on the significant increase in the power of the president. The results of the referendum were controversial. Supporters of empowering the head of state with additional powers won by a narrow margin. This situation has demonstrated the lack of unity in Turkish society.

The unchanging constitutional principle is that the country is a secular democratic state. The Basic Law determines that the form of government in Turkey is a presidential-parliamentary republic. The constitution enshrined the equality of all citizens, regardless of their language, race, gender, political beliefs and religion. In addition, the basic law establishes the unitary national nature of the state.

Elections

The country's parliament consists of 550 members. Deputies are elected for a four-year term. A political party must receive at least 10 percent of the national vote in order to enter parliament. This is the highest electoral barrier in the world.

In the past, the country's president was elected by members of parliament. This principle was changed by an amendment to the constitution adopted by popular referendum. The first direct presidential elections took place in 2014. The head of state can hold office for no more than two five-year terms in a row. The mixed form of government in Turkey gave special importance to the role of the prime minister. However, this position will be abolished after the next elections, in accordance with the decision taken by popular referendum in 2017 to increase the power of the president.

Human Rights

The country's constitution recognizes the supremacy of international law. All basic human rights enshrined in international agreements are formally protected in the country. However, the peculiarity of Turkey lies in the fact that centuries-old traditions often turn out to be more important than legal norms. in the fight against political opponents andseparatists, state authorities unofficially use methods that are unambiguously condemned by the world community.

An example is torture, which has been prohibited by the constitution throughout the history of the republic. Official legal regulations do not prevent Turkish law enforcement agencies from widely and systematically using such interrogation methods. According to some estimates, the number of victims of torture is in the hundreds of thousands. Particularly often, participants in failed military coups were subjected to such methods of influence.

There is also evidence of so-called extrajudicial executions (murders of suspected criminals or simply objectionable citizens by secret order of the authorities without any legal procedures). Sometimes they try to pass off such massacres as a suicide or the result of resisting arrest. Massive human rights violations are taking place against Turkish Kurds, many of whom hold separatist views. In regions inhabited by representatives of this national minority, a large number of mysterious murders are recorded that are not properly investigated by the police. It is worth noting that official death sentences in the country have not been carried out for more than 30 years.

Judicial system

In the process of creating a form of government and state structure in Turkey, many aspects were borrowed from Western European constitutions and laws. However, the concept of jurors is completely absent in the judicial system of this country. Renderingverdicts and sentences are trusted only by professional lawyers.

Military courts try the cases of soldiers and officers of the armed forces, but in the event of a state of emergency, their power extends to civilians. Practice shows that the form of government and the form of government in Turkey are not unshakable and are easily corrected, subject to the determination of political leaders. One of the confirmations of this fact is the mass dismissal of judges that occurred after an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the president in 2016. The repressions affected almost three thousand servants of Themis, suspected of political unreliability.

National composition

Unity is one of the fundamental principles of the state structure and form of government in Turkey. In the republic created by Kemal Atatürk, no self-determination of nationalities was provided. All inhabitants of the country, regardless of ethnicity, were considered Turks. The policy aimed at preserving unitarity is bearing fruit. Most of the country's citizens in the census process prefer to call themselves Turks in the questionnaires, rather than indicate their actual nationality. Because of this approach, it is still not possible to find out the exact number of Kurds living in the country. According to rough estimates, they make up 10-15 percent of the population. In addition to the Kurds, there are a number of national minorities in Turkey: Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Arabs, Greeks and manyothers.

Confessional affiliation

Most of the country's population is Muslim. The number of Christians and Jews is very small. Approximately every tenth Turkish citizen is a believer, but does not identify himself with any confession. Only about one percent of the population holds openly atheistic views.

The Role of Islam

Secular Turkey has no official state religion. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all citizens. The role of religion has been the subject of heated debate since the emergence of Islamist political parties. President Erdogan has lifted the hijab ban in schools, universities, government offices and the military. This restriction was in effect for many decades and was intended to counteract the establishment of Muslim rules in a secular country. This decision of the president unequivocally demonstrated the desire for the Islamization of the state. This trend angers secularists and causes yet another internal controversy in the Republic of Turkey.